Posts Tagged ‘Constitution’

I have long said that there is rampant extremism in our educational system. Educational thinking lacks balance and is certainly devoid of common sense. Too often good intentions become crazy ideas because they are taken too far.

To read that the New South Wales Education Department would even consider for a brief moment a proposal to bring target shooting into schools just made me shake my head in disbelief. Of all the stupid, irresponsible, insane ideas (and there’s too many of them to count), this one surely takes the cake:

High school students could be allowed to shoot guns during school hours under a plan by the NSW Education Department.

An internal department submission has revealed an advanced plan to allow target shooting into extra-curricular programs at the state’s 650 high schools, The Daily Telegraph reported on Tuesday.

It comes after the department consulted the NSW Shooters and Fishers Party and shooters associations about how to roll out target shooting into schools.

Deputy director-general schools Gregory Prior said the department was yet to make a decision about the issue.

Readers in the US might not flinch at such a program, but we in Australia do not have the right to bear arms in our constitution. As a matter of fact, being in possession of a firearm is illegal. Why on earth would we want to encourage in any way, shape or form the use of guns?

Sure it would engage disillusioned students. It would be an absolute hit, I have no doubt about that. But what kind of message would you be sendin? Ask the kind folks of Columbine whether they think this initiative has merit.

Why can’t they think of responsible and productive ways to engage students? Why does educational thinking continue to lean towards the radical instead of the sensible?